Thursday’s best bets, by Chris Cook
New ground will be broken on Friday morning, which brings the first disciplinary hearing involving a British-based trainer charged with giving cobalt to a racehorse. Rebecca Bastiman and her father, Robin, are expected to defend themselves against the charge, which relates to John Caesar, found to have an elevated level of cobalt in the sample taken after his win at Wolverhampton on 8 April 2016, the eve of the Grand National.
According to the British Horseracing Authority, which has charged the Bastimans, Rebecca is expected to be represented by the barrister Roderick Moore, while Robin is not expected to have legal representation.
Racing authorities around the world have become increasingly aware of the risk that cobalt could be used as a performance enhancer. While all horses require a low level of cobalt in their diet, the BHA say that dosing horses with inorganic cobalt salts can have the effect of delaying fatigue. Those cobalt salts are said to be readily available, not subject to veterinary control and can be administered orally or by injection.
The Bastiman case raises once more the question of how the BHA publishes charges against named individuals. Tim Brennan, an Irish vet who was eventually cleared of passing inside information, complained when the BHA published charges against him almost two months before the eventual hearing. The charges against the Bastimans were published just three days before their hearing.
I pressed the BHA for a detailed explanation as to why publication of charges in those two cases were handled so differently. They said they have to be guided to some extent by the individual circumstances of each case.
Turning to today’s racing, I notice that Frankie Dettori has only had a couple of winners in the past fortnight, thanks in large part to his ban for careless riding. But he could double that tally at Sandown tonight, where his most interesting mount is Too Darn Hot (6.35).
Trained by John Gosden, he’s a full brother to So Mi Dar and Lah Ti Dar, a couple of high-achieving fillies who were both favourite for the Oaks when ruled out by setbacks. Lah Ti Dar won her first and, so far, only two races, while So Mi Dar won her first four.
Of course, Too Darn Hot is also a half-brother to a couple of much less impressive males. But it’s encouraging that Gosden has got him out as early as August of his juvenile year, when there would presumably have been no great pressure to run such a well-bred type until September or October if he wasn’t ready to go.
He’s entered in next month’s Champagne Stakes and I hope that he’ll set himself up for that by scoring here. There’s 10-11 available as I type, the field having been shrunk to five by three non-runners.
Dettori can complete a short-priced double on the 9-4 shot Mister Ambassador (7.10), a son of Scat Daddy who has made steady progress in three runs under Rab Havlin. There was a lot to like about his novice victory at Newcastle, where he made all and travelled powerfully in first-time cheekpieces. He could be way ahead of his opening mark.
It could be worth having a swing at Pinnata (8.15), a 15-2 shot in the closing mile handicap. He should be better for his recent Kempton third, his first run since December, and the winner has since gone in again. Oisin Murphy is an eye-catching booking for the Stuart Williams runner.
Earlier at Haydock, you can get 6-1 about Busy Street (4.40), having his first run for the in-form Mick Appleby, having previously been with Sally Haynes. He went close in this race last year and is 1lb lower now.
Yarmouth 1.50 Dusty 2.20 Stakeholder 2.50 Rhigolter Rose 3.20 Oakley Mimosa 3.50 Moretti 4.20 Beauty Filly 4.50 La Isla Bonita
Brighton 2.00 King Crimson 2.30 Seaforth 3.00 Rosamour 3.30 Ashington 4.00 Affina 4.30 Johni Boxit 5.00 Motajaasid
Haydock 2.10 Purple Rock 2.40 Moyassar 3.10 Stewardess 3.40 Born To Finish 4.10 Under The Covers 4.40 Busy Street (nb) 5.10 Poppy Love
Newcastle 5.15 New Britain 5.45 Kilbarchan 6.20 Tember 6.50 Polyphony 7.25 Gaslight 7.55 Chantresse 8.30 Charleston Belle 9.00 Qaaraat
Sandown 5.30 White Turf 6.05 Good Luck Fox 6.35 Too Darn Hot 7.10 Mister Ambassador (nap) 7.40 Winklemann 8.15 Pinnata
Tips by Chris Cook
Brighton 2.00 Cent Flying 2.30 No More Regrets 3.00 Poetic Steps 3.30 Danzay 4.00 Big Lachie 4.30 Kachumbo 5.00 Time Medicean
Musselburgh 2.10 Lady Lavinia 2.40 Deputise 3.10 Markhan 3.40 Arabian Jazz 4.10 Timoshenko 4.40 Trautmann 5.15 Kuiper Belt
Wolverhampton 1.50 Be Like Me 2.20 Ingleby Molly 2.50 Go Annie Go 3.20 Jaguar (next best) 3.50 Lexington Garden 4.20 Conkering Hero 4.50 Celtic Artisan 5.20 Misu Pete
Newmarket 5.25 Assembly Of Truth, 6.00 Capla Gilda 6.35 Albert Finney 7.10 Majrooh 7.40 Red Starlight 8.15 Wentworth Falls
Haydock 5.45 Akamanto 6.15 Beatboxer (nap) 6.50 Bullion Boss 7.20 Treasure Quest 7.55 Paddy A 8.30 Fumbo Jumbo
Chelmsford 5.55 First Thought 6.25 Buckingham 7.00 Broken Spear 7.30 Island Of Life 8.05 King Of Dreams 8.40 Fitzwilly 9.10 Chloellie
Tips by John O’Hara
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